More Stephen King reads... One of these took me quite a while to read.
64. Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season by Stephen King and Stewart O'Nan
So I freely admit I am not a sports fan. But I did live in Boston for many years and I remember when the Red Sox broke the curse. King and O'Nan happened to have chosen this season to chronicle their experiences as Red Sox fans and their experience of watching games through the season, and they just happened to luck into an historic season. This book took me a LO-O-O-ONG time to read, probably because I didn't love all of the baseball stuff (lol) but in summary I did enjoy it. The book includes written reflections, narrations of games, emails between the two authors, and other miscellaneous items. I found King's writing more enjoyable and plodded through O'Nan's pieces, but in pursuit of my completest goal, I made my way through it. Recommend if you love baseball and can describe all of the various plays.
65. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
This is a quick and enjoyable entry in the Hard Case Crime paperback series which tells the story of an unsolved murder on a small inhabited Maine island. The story is told by two old newspapermen sharing it with their young female intern. It is a beautifully written story of Maine island life and a riveting (and frustrating) murder story which leaves as many questions as answers. A fun quick read though.
66. Cell by Stephen King
This is King's version of a zombie story but rather than a regular virus, the "virus" is delivered by a ubiquitous tool - the cell phone. Set in Boston and points north, the story is kind of the polar opposite of The Stand. Where The Stand was a story in the optimism of the human experience, even when faced with total disaster, Cell is a study in the ways in which our human society falls apart in the face of trauma. It is a true disaster story and is certainly a page-turner. The novel also contains King's first (in my recollection) positive reflection of a gay character. Worth a read, but be prepared. This is not a "happily ever after" novel, although the ending may leave some hope.
Three more Stephen King books (which brings me up to 2007 in his massive literary oeuvre.
67.
Lisey's Story by Stephen King
Lisey is the widow of the famous writer Scott Landon. While she is hounded by his death, she is also plagued by so called "inculcs" who want access to his papers and unpublished manuscripts. As she quite literally battles a psychopathic fan who wants to punish her for not giving away his papers, she is also remembering parts of the history of her marriage that lie "behind the purple", and she is following along on a "bool" (treasure hunt) left behind for her by her deceased husband. Part romance story, part horror novel, this is a beautiful book which will fully engross you in its story as you discover along with Lisey what she has tried to forget. This novel will take you quite literally to other worlds. Trigger warning for self-harm and cutting behaviors.
68.
The Secretary of Dreams: Volume 1 by Stephen King with illustrations by Glenn Chadbourne
This is a book of King's I thought I would never have, and then a dear friend surprised me recently with both this and volume 2. This was quite a gift (and very hard to find now). Only 5,000 were produced in a limited slipcase edition, and I am so grateful to have a copy. This oversized collection of six King short stories alternates between lavishly illustrated short stories, and retellings in graphic novel form. The illustrations are stunning (and creepy), and are all black and white. The stories can be read in other collections, but being able to see Glenn's illuminations of King's words is truly powerful. A treat if you can get your hands on a copy!
69.
Blaze by Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman)
Another quick read by King, this is what King refers to as a trunk novel (meaning that he wrote it, and stuck it in the trunk and let it sit there for some time). The original version of this novel was written when King was much younger and he thought he would never publish it, but he came back to the story in later years and found that he liked it and did want to share it. I'm glad he did! The novel tells the story of Clayton Blaisdell, Jr., a hapless (and hopeless) victim of circumstances, and his plan to kidnap the child of a wealthy couple. The story is told in flashbacks and events happening in the present, and it does a truly amazing job of presenting an antagonist you care about (or is he a protagonist just doing bad things?). A quick read, and an amazingly fresh story. Worth a read!
I'm taking a short break from Stephen King to read some library books, but I am excited to say I only have 15 more years to go to complete my Stephen King re-read.